West Volusia summit set for Saturday

Published: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 7:27 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 8:25 p.m.

Whether it's the new commuter rail linking the region to Orlando, trails enjoyed by residents and tourists, or the highways that serve as lifelines to thousands of commuters, transportation is a common concern of all six West Volusia cities.

That's why the subject will be the thread tying together a Saturday morning summit for government leaders from DeBary, DeLand, Deltona, Lake Helen, Orange City and Pierson.

"(We) picked that as our theme, to have a one-time look at what's going on in West Volusia when it comes to transportation," said Councilman Ron Saylor of Orange City, the event host.

The summit starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Orange City Council Chambers, 201 N. Holly Ave. The agenda will feature updates on:

Trails and improvements to Saxon Boulevard. Volusia County recently awarded a $4.4 million contract for widening the road between Interstate 4 and Enterprise Road in Orange City from four to six travel lanes, with turning lanes and additional medians for safety.

I-4 improvements, including the eventual widening to 10 lanes between Polk County and State Road 472 and the current widening project from four to six lanes between DeLand and Daytona Beach.

The SunRail commuter train. Construction is under way on the project that includes a stop in DeBary and will eventually link DeLand to St. Cloud.

Votran routing changes.

The corridor improvement plan for U.S. 17-92.

U.S. 17 and U.S. 17-92 run from the Putnam County line near Pierson all the way to the St. Johns River in the county's southwestern corner. The corridor improvement plan is an attempt to ascertain common interests between the four cities it links, said Lois Bollenback, interim executive director of the Volusia Transportation Planning Organization.

"Rather than do a big, two-year, million-dollar study, we've undertaken a small, three- to six-month, $100,000 study to decide: What do we need?" Bollenback said.

"How do we define a road and how do we want it to behave going through these different areas?" she said.

Saylor, who is Orange City's representative on the organization's board, said he believes it will be useful to have a resource for business interests to understand the highway, which runs through rural areas, downtown DeLand, residentially zoned areas in Orange City and DeLand, and a variety of commercial neighborhoods.

And the summit, he hopes, will better acquaint officials with the work on that and other projects.

<p>Whether it's the new commuter rail linking the region to Orlando, trails enjoyed by residents and tourists, or the highways that serve as lifelines to thousands of commuters, transportation is a common concern of all six West Volusia cities. </p><p>That's why the subject will be the thread tying together a Saturday morning summit for government leaders from DeBary, DeLand, Deltona, Lake Helen, Orange City and Pierson. </p><p>"(We) picked that as our theme, to have a one-time look at what's going on in West Volusia when it comes to transportation," said Councilman Ron Saylor of Orange City, the event host. </p><p>The summit starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Orange City Council Chambers, 201 N. Holly Ave. The agenda will feature updates on: </p><p>Trails and improvements to Saxon Boulevard. Volusia County recently awarded a $4.4 million contract for widening the road between Interstate 4 and Enterprise Road in Orange City from four to six travel lanes, with turning lanes and additional medians for safety. </p><p>I-4 improvements, including the eventual widening to 10 lanes between Polk County and State Road 472 and the current widening project from four to six lanes between DeLand and Daytona Beach. </p><p>The Scenic Highway Corridor program, which highlights the region's cultural heritage, including historic pastures, agricultural areas and natural wonders. </p><p>The SunRail commuter train. Construction is under way on the project that includes a stop in DeBary and will eventually link DeLand to St. Cloud.</p><p>Votran routing changes. </p><p>The corridor improvement plan for U.S. 17-92. </p><p>U.S. 17 and U.S. 17-92 run from the Putnam County line near Pierson all the way to the St. Johns River in the county's southwestern corner. The corridor improvement plan is an attempt to ascertain common interests between the four cities it links, said Lois Bollenback, interim executive director of the Volusia Transportation Planning Organization. </p><p>"Rather than do a big, two-year, million-dollar study, we've undertaken a small, three- to six-month, $100,000 study to decide: What do we need?" Bollenback said. </p><p>"How do we define a road and how do we want it to behave going through these different areas?" she said. </p><p>Saylor, who is Orange City's representative on the organization's board, said he believes it will be useful to have a resource for business interests to understand the highway, which runs through rural areas, downtown DeLand, residentially zoned areas in Orange City and DeLand, and a variety of commercial neighborhoods. </p><p>And the summit, he hopes, will better acquaint officials with the work on that and other projects.</p>